Half measures for Scots women

Women
in Scotland earn almost half the average pay of men and are less likely to gain
senior managerial positions according to research.

The
Scottish Executive’s Social Focus on Women and Men study finds that the average
earned income for men in Scotland is £317 compared to £172 for women.

The
report states: “A larger proportion of women are in lower grades than in higher
grades across all profession in Scotland, regardless of whether men or women
made up the majority of the workforce in the profession.”

A
separate survey by financial and business advisers Grant Thornton shows that 30
per cent of businesses in Scotland employ no women in management at all.

This
compares poorly to the north of England, which according to the European
Business Survey has the highest proportion of women in management roles in the
UK, with 85 per cent of organisations employing women in senior roles.